The Perfect Couple

The afternoon before the scheduled wedding, Celeste helps Karen get ready for the rehearsal dinner. Bruce is out swimming. Karen, who is too weak to be in the water, wishes she could join her husband. Karen is also worried about Celeste’s sudden stutter. Though her illness has made Celeste anxious, she knows that is not the only reason for her daughter’s nervousness. Karen wants to tell Celeste to marry Benji only if she really loves him, but she knows that Benji is a good match, no less because of his wealth. Although money should not matter, Karen knows from experience that living from paycheck to paycheck is difficult. Bruce joins his wife and daughter. Celeste refers to Karen as “Betty” after Betty Crocker and to Bruce as “Mac” for MacGyver, as Bruce is a troubleshooter. Karen feels overwhelmed with love for her family but is also sad that she won’t be with them much longer. Struck with physical pain, Karen goes to the bathroom to find her painkiller Oxycodone tablets. The tablets are not where Karen left them, though she locates them eventually. Karen thinks Celeste may have moved them while arranging Karen’s things.

Greer gets a shocking email from her editor, Enid Collins, asking her to completely revise her manuscript within two weeks, by the 21st of July.